A clear path to your VA home loan.
An independent mortgage broker walking veterans, service members and surviving spouses through the VA program as written in 2026 — $0 down for eligible borrowers, no monthly mortgage insurance, and a one-time funding fee unless you're exempt. Residential mortgage brokerage available in Florida and Colorado.
See how much you qualify for
No-obligation VA pre-qualification review.
How does a VA loan work?
A VA loan lets eligible veterans, service members, and surviving spouses buy a home with $0 down and no monthly mortgage insurance, ever. Instead of PMI, most borrowers pay a one-time funding fee (0%–3.30%, financeable) — and it's waived for veterans with a service-connected disability. Full entitlement means no VA loan limit.
- $0 down payment with full entitlement — no VA loan limit on what you can borrow
- No monthly mortgage insurance or PMI, ever, at any down payment
- One-time VA funding fee (2.15% first use, less with 5%+ down) replaces mortgage insurance and is waived for many disabled veterans
- Sellers may pay up to 4% of the sale value in concessions, plus customary closing costs
- The VA sets no minimum credit score; lenders apply their own underwriting standards
If you're eligible, $0 down and no monthly mortgage insurance mean you're likely closer to buying than a conventional-loan budget would suggest.
Reviewed by the licensed mortgage team at Simply Approved Mortgages · Last verified August 24, 2026 against the VA Lenders Handbook (M26-7)
Estimate my VA paymentEvery VA program. One team on your side.
The VA guarantees five core home loan programs. As a licensed mortgage broker we help you compare all five across our VA lender network and match you to the one that fits your plans — the VA Purchase Loan, the IRRRL streamline refinance, the Cash-Out Refinance, the VA Renovation (Alteration & Repair) loan, and the Native American Direct Loan.
VA Purchase Loan
Zero down, no mortgage insurance, and a 1% cap on lender origination charges
- $0 down payment with full entitlement
- No monthly mortgage insurance or PMI, ever
- No VA loan limit for borrowers with full entitlement
VA IRRRL (Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan)
The VA streamline refinance for homeowners who already have a VA loan and want a lower rate or a fixed payment.
- The VA does not require a new appraisal or income verification on a standard IRRRL — some lenders still do
- Funding fee is just 0.50%, and exempt veterans still pay nothing
- Closing costs can be financed into the loan or covered by a lender credit
VA Cash-Out Refinance
Convert home equity to cash — and refinance a non-VA loan into a VA loan
- Up to 100% of appraised value permitted by the VA; most lenders allow 90%
- Refinances conventional, FHA, USDA or existing VA loans
- Type I (loan amount at or below payoff) and Type II (above payoff)
VA Native American Direct Loan (NADL)
The VA lends directly — for homes on federal trust land
- The VA is the direct lender, at a low fixed rate it sets itself
- $0 down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance
- Funding fee of only 1.25% on purchase, 0.50% on an NADL IRRRL
VA Renovation Loan (Alteration & Repair)
Buy a home that needs work and finance the repairs in the same VA loan
- Purchase price plus eligible repair costs in one loan
- Still $0 down and no monthly mortgage insurance
- Repair funds escrowed and disbursed as work is inspected
Designed for those who served.
VA loans exist because eligible veterans and service members earned a home loan benefit. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs guarantees the loan against loss — so private lenders like us can approve $0-down financing with no monthly mortgage insurance, at rates the rest of the market can't match.
No down payment required
$0 down with full entitlement, and no monthly mortgage insurance — ever. Any down payment you do make can be 100% gifted from family.
Flexible credit rules
Past bankruptcy or foreclosure? You can re-qualify in as little as 1–3 years with re-established credit. The VA itself sets no minimum credit score.
Assumable mortgage
When you sell, a qualified buyer can take over your existing VA rate. That's a major advantage when rates rise.
Run your real numbers before you apply.
Seven calculators built on published VA formulas and the 2026 county conforming limits — not generic mortgage math. Every input updates instantly, and nothing is gated behind a form.
A VA loan already needs $0 down — these benefits cut the cost further.
Beyond the zero-down guaranty itself, several federal and state benefits reduce what a veteran pays to buy and keep a home. Here are the ones that most often change the numbers.
VA funding fee exemption
Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability — and several other categories — pay a $0 funding fee instead of the standard 1.25%–3.30% (purchase) or 0.50% (IRRRL).
- Amount
- Fee reduced to $0 (from 2.15%–3.30% on a purchase, or 0.50% on an IRRRL)
- Repayment
- Not applicable — the fee is waived entirely, not financed or repaid.
- Best for
- Disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients on active duty, and qualifying surviving spouses.
SAH, SHA, and TRA disability housing grants
Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) and Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grants help veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities buy, build, or modify a home; Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) helps adapt a family member's home the veteran is temporarily living in.
- Amount
- FY2026 maximums: SAH up to $126,526; SHA up to $25,350 (VA.gov)
- Repayment
- None — these are VA grants, not loans, and are not repaid.
- Best for
- Veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability who need to buy or adapt a home.
Native American Direct Loan (NADL)
The NADL is a direct VA loan — not a VA-guaranteed loan originated by a private lender — for Native American veterans (or a veteran married to a Native American veteran) who want to buy, build, or improve a home on federal trust land.
- Amount
- $0 down, no PMI, 1.25% funding fee on purchase (0.50% on an NADL IRRRL)
- Repayment
- A standard amortizing direct loan from VA, repaid to VA like any mortgage.
- Best for
- Native American veterans (or their spouses) buying, building, or improving a home on federal trust land.
State veteran home loan and closing-cost programs
A handful of states run their own veteran loan, land-purchase, or closing-cost assistance programs that can be used alongside — or occasionally instead of — a VA-guaranteed loan.
- Amount
- Varies by state and program (e.g., CalVet, Texas VLB, Oregon ODVA, WDVA in Wisconsin, AHFC in Alaska)
- Repayment
- Set by the state agency's own program terms; varies by state and program.
- Best for
- Veterans buying in a state that runs its own dedicated veteran loan program, or who want help with closing costs on a VA loan.
2026 VA conforming limits by state.
A veteran with full entitlement has no VA loan limit. These county-by-county conforming limits, set by the FHFA, apply only to borrowers with reduced or partial entitlement. We track every limit and update them annually. Pick a featured state below, or see the full directory.
The rules nobody explains until you're already under contract.
Appraisal repairs, condo approval, gift-fund paperwork, self-employed income, waiting periods after a bankruptcy — each guide walks one topic all the way to the VA Lenders Handbook M26-7 rule behind it.
How to Get Your VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in 2026
The three ways to get a VA Certificate of Eligibility — instantly on VA.gov, through a lender via WebLGY, or by mail with VA Form 26-1880 — plus exactly which documents each path requires.
VA Loan Eligibility 2026 — Service Requirements & Who Qualifies
The exact active-duty, wartime, peacetime, and Guard/Reserve service thresholds that qualify you for a VA loan, plus surviving-spouse eligibility and discharge-status rules.
VA Funding Fee 2026 — Full Chart, Exemptions & How It Works
The complete 2026 VA funding fee chart by down payment and use, the reduced IRRRL and NADL fees, and every exemption that brings the fee to zero.
VA Entitlement Explained — Basic vs. Bonus & Buying a Second Home
How VA basic and bonus entitlement work, how remaining entitlement lets you buy a second home with a VA loan, and how restoration works after you sell or pay off a prior VA loan.
VA Loan Limits 2026 — After the Blue Water Navy Act
Why full-entitlement veterans have no VA loan limit since 2020, how the FHFA conforming limits still apply to partial entitlement, and the 2026 baseline and high-cost figures.
VA Residual Income Requirements by Region and Family Size (2026)
How the VA's residual-income test works, why it can qualify a veteran that a debt-to-income ratio alone would reject, and how the figures vary by region, family size, and loan amount.
The most-read VA articles online.
Plain-English, fact-checked guides written by licensed loan officers. Every number ties back to a VA.gov or VA Lenders Handbook M26-7 source.
2026 VA Funding Fee Changes: What Veterans Actually Pay Now
The VA funding fee schedule sets the one-time cost that replaces mortgage insurance on every VA loan. Here's the current chart, who's exempt, and how it's financed.
Why VA Loans Have No Loan Limit With Full Entitlement
Since the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act took effect in 2020, veterans with full entitlement can borrow whatever a lender approves — with $0 down. Here's how that actually works.
VA vs Conventional Loans: Which One Saves You More in 2026?
VA loans need $0 down and no mortgage insurance, ever. Conventional loans require at least 3% down and PMI until 20% equity. Here's when each one wins.
How VA Disability Compensation Waives Your Funding Fee
Veterans receiving VA disability compensation pay $0 funding fee — often the single biggest savings in the entire loan. Here's how the exemption is proven and refunded.
IRRRL Recoupment Rules: The 36-Month Test That Decides If You Can Refinance
The VA won't let you refinance into an IRRRL just to lower your rate slightly — the fees have to pay for themselves within 36 months. Here's exactly how that math works.
VA Appraisal Turn Times and the Tidewater Process, Explained
A VA appraisal checks value and Minimum Property Requirements. If the value looks like it will come in low, Tidewater gives your agent a shot to submit more comps before the Notice of Value is finalized.
VA loan questions, answered.
The most common questions about VA loans — answered with facts sourced from VA.gov and the VA Lenders Handbook M26-7.
What is a VA loan?+
A VA loan is a mortgage guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and originated by private, VA lender partners. The VA doesn't lend the money (except for the Native American Direct Loan) — its guaranty lets lenders offer $0 down and no monthly mortgage insurance to eligible veterans, active-duty service members, National Guard/Reserve members, and surviving spouses. Source: va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans.
Do VA loans require a down payment?+
No. Eligible veterans with full entitlement can finance 100% of the purchase price — $0 down — up to the amount a lender is willing to approve. A down payment is never required by the VA itself, though a veteran can choose to put money down to reduce the funding fee or monthly payment.
Do VA loans have mortgage insurance?+
No. VA loans never carry monthly mortgage insurance or PMI — that's the program's single biggest cost advantage over FHA and conventional financing. Instead, most veterans pay a one-time VA funding fee, which can be financed into the loan.
What is the VA funding fee?+
A one-time fee paid to the VA that helps keep the program running at no cost to taxpayers. For a first-time purchase loan it's 2.15% of the loan amount with less than 5% down, 1.50% with 5–9.99% down, and 1.25% with 10% or more down; subsequent use with less than 5% down is 3.30%. Cash-out refinances are 2.15% (first use) or 3.30% (subsequent use); an IRRRL is a flat 0.50%. Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability, Purple Heart recipients on active duty, and certain surviving spouses are exempt. Source: va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/funding-fee-and-closing-costs.
Who is exempt from the VA funding fee?+
Veterans receiving (or entitled to receive) VA compensation for a service-connected disability, veterans rated eligible for compensation from a pre-discharge exam, active-duty Purple Heart recipients, and surviving spouses of veterans who died in service or from a service-connected disability (or who receive DIC) pay no funding fee. Your Certificate of Eligibility will show the exemption; if a disability rating is granted after closing, the fee may be refunded.
What are the 2026 VA loan limits?+
Since the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act took effect January 1, 2020, there is no VA loan limit for a veteran with full entitlement — you can borrow whatever a lender approves with $0 down. Limits only apply to veterans with reduced/partial entitlement (because of an existing VA loan or a prior default), and those limits match the FHFA conforming loan limits: $832,750 in most counties for 2026, up to a $1,249,125 ceiling in high-cost areas. Source: va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/loan-limits.
What credit score do I need for a VA loan?+
The VA sets no minimum credit score — that's decided by each lender. Lenders review the complete loan profile, including residual income, recent payment history, debt obligations, and the automated underwriting result.
What is VA residual income and why does it matter?+
Residual income is the amount of money left over each month after the mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, other debts, and estimated maintenance and utility costs. It's the VA's signature underwriting tool and varies by region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West), family size, and loan amount. Strong residual income can qualify a veteran even with a debt-to-income ratio above the 41% guideline, since the VA treats 41% as a benchmark, not a hard cap. Source: VA Lenders Handbook M26-7, Chapter 4.
Ready to see what you qualify for?
Start a VA pre-qualification with a licensed loan originator. Licensed in Colorado and Florida.